PRAYING GOD’S HEART (3)

“…one of His disciples said to Him, ‘LORD TEACH US TO PRAY…” – Luke 11:1b                       

The Master’s Model of PRAYING GOD’S HEART is also the focus of Luke 11: “Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘LORD TEACH US TO PRAY, as John also taught his disciples.” So He said to them, “WHEN YOU PRAY, say: “Our Father in heaven…” (Lk.11:1-2a). Our Lord promptly answered this request by presenting a Model Outline which can be divided into five sections, namely: God’s Praise, Plan, Provision, Pardon, and Protection.

God’s Praise: is what Jesus began with (v.2b). He addressed His prayers to “Our Father in heaven,” hallowing or reverencing His name (Mt. 6:9). He also ended with Praise: “For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Mt.6:13). Prayer begins and ends with praise. Prayer is all about God’s Fatherhood, His Name, His Kingdom coming, and His Will being done. God created everyone, but He is only Father to those who have been born again and adopted into His family. Our God who is in Heaven, transcending time and space, wants a relationship with us. In communing with Him, we must begin and end with praises.

God’s Plan: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (v.2c; Mt.6:10). God’s Kingdom speaks of His eternal Agenda, Purpose, or Plan, which is better than the best of our plans. We need God’s vision and will for our lives. This is the way Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane: “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Mt.26:39). Our allegiance is first to God, as evident when we seek and follow His will above all. To be persons after God’s Heart, we must always acknowledge in prayers that the Lord God is the King of our heart.

God’s Provision: “Give us day by day our daily bread” (v.3; Mt.6:11) refers to both material and spiritual provisions. God is the Source of supply for all of our needs. Moreover, Jesus is the Bread of Life. He alone can satisfy the deepest desires of our hearts. Before He fed the five thousand, He gave thanks. At the Last Supper, He broke the bread and blessed it. He promised to give us “all things that pertains to life and godliness” (2Pet.1:3). Whatever our need, we only must ask Him (vv.9-10).

God’s Pardon: “And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us” (v.4a; Mt.6:12). Jesus left Heaven and came to earth to pay our sin debt. He who knew no sin became sin for us (2Cor.5:21). He died on the cross taking upon Himself the sin of the world, so we could be forgiven. We should confess our sins the way we committed them – one by one and not allow them to pile up. Rather than permit roots of bitterness to sprout, let’s learn to pray for those who have hurt us and turn them over to God. Like Jesus, let’s forgive people in advance! On the cross, He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” (Lk. 23:34).

God’s Protection: “And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one” (v.4b; Mt.6:13). Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan. Jesus told Peter, “Satan desires to sift you but I have prayed for you that your faith would not fail” (Lk. 22:31-32). The devil, not God is the tempter. Every day is a spiritual battle. We have to fight the good fight of faith: for our spouse, children, career, and church. We know that we’ll be tempted and that on our own we could fall; but with God’s help, we will not fail or fall!

We learn to pray the same way we learn to drive or swim: Know the principles; then, jump in and do it! Prayer is all about a relationship with God; and we can only grow deeper in it when we spend quality time together, making prayer a priority!